Tag Archives: Georgia Signs

Wishbone Fried Chicken, Tifton

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We made a lot of trips to Tifton when I was growing up in the 1970s, visiting the pediatrician and shopping, and Wishbone Fried Chicken was a great fast food place back in those days. It was located right downtown, across from what was then the Big Star shopping center on Love Avenue. Some of you may remember that Big Star was a grocery chain. I don’t remember shopping there, but we did on occasion. I just remember they had a televised horse race once a week and you could win cash and groceries if your horse “won” the race.

The last I heard, Wishbone in Tifton was closed but the sign was still there. I wish I could find out more about it. I know there’s one in Newnan, with the same kind of sign, so it may have been a franchise.

Update: Susan Anderson writes: I can confirm that the sign is now down, it was just taken down in the last few months. The building will soon be a new restaurant.

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Mud Bogging, Ware County

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Muddin’ Truck, US Highway 84, 2010

This vehicle was always a landmark for me, and served as an advertisement for a local Mud Bogging* event. It was parked on the right hand side of US 84 past Ruskin, heading from Waycross to Homerville, for many years. I think it’s gone now.

*-Mud Bogging, AKA Mudding, Bogging, etc., has grown from a backyard hobby into a big business. It’s perhaps most popular in Florida, but is a big deal in these parts, too, truly a part of the local folklife. At first it was just done with trucks, often specially rigged for the job, but now is very popular with ATVs and custom rigs. I’m not sure about Waycross, but I know Florida actually has races with some of the custom rigs, known as Swamp Buggies.

North First Street, Colquitt

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The unusual structure advertising Sessions Peanut Company has become a landmark of Colquitt.

Colquitt Town Square Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Georgia Cigar & Soda Company Ruins, Waycross

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Waycross native Ben Hagen recently reached out to let me know about this structure in the process of being razed, in downtown Waycross. He noted: …The siding which had covered it for decades had been removed, and a number of great old ads were visible, including Coca-Cola, Chero Cola, a Nash/Oakland auto dealership, and more that I can’t make out...

It was located beside the US Highway 84 overpass at Francis Street and was originally two stories.

The primary signage on the front of the building, as seen in the first image, and below, indicate it may have been home to the Georgia Cigar & Soda Company.

As Ben noted, there were quite a few ads for other business on the side of the building, including Coca-Cola. My guess is that the proximity to the busy highway may have made the location a perfect spot for advertising, before the proliferation of stand-alone billboards.

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I’m hoping some of my Waycross friends will know.

Harris Brothers Garage, Barney

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Harris Brothers Garage is one of the few remaining commercial structures in Barney. Their sign notes that they did electric and acetylene welding.

Hahira, Georgia

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No one knows exactly where Hahira [pronounced hay-HI-ra] got its name, but it was incorporated in 1891. One source states that it was named for a plantation, which the owner named for Hairaairee, a village in West Africa. No such place name can be found in Africa today, but it is very close to Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, actually located in eastern Africa. Another legend maintains Hahira derived its unusual name from Hahiroth, a biblical place name.

Whatever its origin, the small city at the northern end of Lowndes County is growing, along with the rest of the county. New housing developments are popping up everywhere.

Shotgun House & Billboard, Tifton

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Summer 2008

I’m excited to be able to share this photograph, as it was one of my earliest, and I thought it was long lost. It’s a real favorite of mine.

The house was located in one of Tifton’s older African-American neighborhoods, right on the edge of the northbound lane of I-75. It’s probably gone by now.

Merry Christmas from Vanishing Georgia

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Christmas Sign, Tift County, 2013

As always, I’m most thankful for another year of discovery and for all of your support. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and Holiday Season.

Cedar Grove Opry Sign, Laurens County

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This big red plastic boot served as the sign for the Cedar Grove Opry, a community gathering place located in the old Cedar Grove School. I’m not sure if the opry is still a thing, but the sign is already a landmark.

Landmark Lodge No. 64, Dublin

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This is a Prince Hall lodge. Other affiliations include: Tri-County Chapter No. 8 of the Royal Arch Masons, and Fidelity Chapter No. 45 of the Order of the Eastern Star.